Stand with the US Bishops against the HHS

Learn Latin

A Message from Pope John Paul II

"To be actively pro-life is to contribute to the renewal of society through the promotion of the common good. It is impossible to further the common good without acknowledging and defending the right to life, upon which all the other inalienable rights of individuals are founded and from which they develop." ~ Pope John Paul II, The Gospel of Life, n.101

Everything is grace, everything is the direct effect of our Father's love.Everything is grace because everything is God's gift.Whatever be the character of life or its unexpected events -- to the heart that loves, all is well.

What They're Saying About Catholic Fire

"Thank you Jean, you are a beautiful soldier for the cause. I appreciate your superb work. Keep it up!"
Lisa Mladinich
Amazing Catechists and Catholic Mom Puppet Show Ministry

" I’m amazed at your blog. I can barely get out one post a day and sometimes you have a few (and I now know how much work it takes to do that). You do a great job! "
Michelle, Unborn Word of the Day

"When I read your blog, I just want to comment on everything, your insights are just so on-key!" Leticia, Causa Nostrae Laetitiae and Cause of Our Joy.

"I enjoy your blog every day. It is the best Catholic blog out there. Thank you so much for all the work you put into it!"
Ellen Gable, author, "Emily's Hope"

"I love the zeal Jean puts into her posts, especially when it comes to the prolife movement." Esther, A Catholic Mom in Hawaii.

"Jean of Catholic Fire...provides so much informative content. She posts about pro-life issues and events, what happened 'on this day', biographies of saints, prayer intentions, and lots more each day. No matter what she's posting about, I can always come away each day feeling uplifted...and that's saying a lot for me, as I'm someone who often tries to avoid thinking about some of the political and other issues that she posts about. It must be her strong faith and trust in God, as well as her love, shining through her posts, that inspire me." Margaret Mary Myers , Reflections, Catholic BVI Readers, VIP Homeschooler.

RSS Feed

Credits

Saturday, June 30, 2007

Are you looking for a fresh new film that is entertaining, fast- moving and fun for the whole family? Then Ratatouille (pronounced rat-at-too-ee) is your pick.

Neither children nor adults will become bored with this delightful and delectable animated Pixar film written and directed by Brad Bird.

The star of Ratatouille is Remy (Patton Oswalt), a cute, sensitive blue rat with pink ears, a pink nose, and a penchant for cooking, who is very meticulous when it comes to grooming (never walking on his front paws, as he uses them for cooking and making sure that others wash their hands before performing this task) unlike your average rat. His sense of smell and taste are also much more acute than that of the average rat and unlike his peers and family members, he chooses to eat gourmet food rather than garbage.

Inspired by the great late chef Auguste Gusteau (Brad Garrett), whose motto was “anyone can cook”, Remy steals food to create a recipe and barely escapes death from a gun-toting granny, only to find his way to Gusteau’s restaurant in Paris. Once there, guided by the spirit of Gusteau, Remy doctors up a soup that was unintentionally ruined by Liguini (Lou Romano), a garbage boy with no culinary talents. The restaurant’s customers love the soup, and Linguini is called on to cook even more of Gusteau‘s recipes with the assistance of Remy under the supervision of Collette, the only female cook at Gusteau’s. With Remy’s assistance, the two working as a team, set off a titillating chain of events that turn the culinary world of Paris upside down.

Like a great recipe, this film has all the right ingredients – humor, drama, romance – which, blended together, offer a delicious and delightful treat.

Honesty, friendship, family, teamwork, and working hard to achieve one’s goals in life are the messages that come across in this film.

The holy men and women are also called the “Protomartyrs of Rome.” They were accused of burning Rome by Nero, who burned Rome to cover his own crimes. Some martyrs were burned as living torches at evening banquets, some crucified, others were fed to wild animals. These martyrs died before Sts. Peter and Paul, and are called “disciples of the Apostles. . . whom the Holy Roman church sent to their Lord before the Apostles’ death.”

As I write about the Christian martyrs, I can't help but reflect on the time I spent with my Community in prayer and thanksgiving for their sacrifice and their great faith while visiting the Coliseum in Italy in February, 2006. I felt such a strong sense of their presence as I envisioned these innocent, defenseless victims being tossed into this huge arena to be devoured by the lions while thousands of pagan spectators entertained themselves, drinking and eating to excess, sitting back, laughing, and cheering.

In some ways this scenario is similar what is happening in our society today. We sit back on our recliners guiltlessly indulging ourselves in every imaginable way-- participating in ever form of sexual delight, consuming excessive quantities of food to appease every one of our 10,000 taste buds, purchasing whatever unnecessary trinket strikes our fancy, poisoning our minds and welcoming into our homes the violence and bloodshed, and pornography of the internet, movies, and TV.

How often do we get up off our derrières to do something about the evil in our world? It is just so much easier to sit back and continue in our self - indulgent habits, while the innocent martyrs of our day -- the unborn-- are being slaughtered, their remains being flushed down a sink, thrown in the garbage, or burned in an incinerator.

But, you ask, what can just one person do?

First, get up and speak up. Speak the truth. In order to do this, you must know the truth. Educate yourself. Read as much as you can about the facts. Learn what the issues are and how to dialogue with those trapped in the culture of death. If you have never read a pro-life book before, start out with these: Why Can't We Love them Both by Dr. and Mrs. J.C. Willke, Guerilla Apologetics for Life Issues by Paul Nowak, Won By Love by Norma McCorvey.

Third, fast. Some types of evil can be halted only by fasting. There are many ways to fast -- for example, cut back on eating one type of (unnecessary) food, eat unseasoned food, fast from TV or the Internet or from using your favorite cologne. Better yet, fast from a bad habit, or spend time cultivating a virture -- such as patience.

Fourth, volunteer your time to the pro-life movement. Pray or do sidewalk counseling at the abortion mill. It doesn't work out with your schedule? Offer to be a spiritual supporter. Volunteer at a crisis pregancy center. Get involved in the Respect Life group in your parish or diocese. If you want to do more, contact Fr. Frank Pavone -- he will find something for you to do.Don't sit back and let the world continue to decay. Speak up for human life!

Friday, June 29, 2007

Wichita's late-term abortion practitioner George Tiller could face up to 19 years in prison for performing illegal abortions. After dropping all of the charges against Planned Parenthood and some of those against Tiller, Kansas Attorney General Paul Morrison says the case isn't over.

Morrison announced that he is filing 19 misdemeanor charges against Tiller because he used a second physician that was not financially or legally unassociated with him, as required by law.

Like most people, I find this interesting, but am guarded in my feelings about the outcome.

"While we are happy that charges are being filed against Tiller, we are guarded about this because we believe that these charges are the weakest against Tiller. There is now a pattern of illegal activity by abortionist Tiller and Kline’s investigation is proven to have merit."

He added:

“Now, because we have charges on the 2003 records, we insist that Morrison subpoena the 2004 and 2005 abortion records. Furthermore, in order for justice to be done, the criminal late-term abortion charges against Tiller, as supported by Psychiatrist Dr. Paul McHugh must be reinstated."

Is this simply a slap on the wrist for Tiller, another bizarre situation in which his attorneys and blood money pals will get him off scott free again, or will it actually lead to real consequences?

Stay tuned for more...

*** Update:Tiller Associate Cut Immunity Deal In Illegal Abortion Case Ann Kristen Neuhaus struck a deal for limited immunity with former Attorney General Phill Kline in exchange for her cooperation in his investigation against the notorious abortionist George R. Tiller. The current State Attorney General, Paul Morrison, is honoring the agreement in a case filed Thursday charging Tiller with 19 criminal counts based on abortion records obtained by Kline from a three-month period in 2003.In exchange for immunity, Neuhaus gave statements under oath that spoke of her involvement in Tiller’s late-term abortion practice. According to Kansas law, two doctors who are financially and legally unaffiliated, must agree that a pregnant woman faces “substantial and irreversible impairment of a major bodily function” before an abortion after 21 weeks can be done. Neuhaus provided that second opinion for Tiller’s late-term abortions [more]

Sts. Peter and Paul are the co-founders of the Church - the solid rock on which it was founded.

St. Peter

Peter's original name was Simon. He was a fisherman and the brother of Saint Andrew, the apostle who led him to Christ. As an apostle of Christ, Simon was renamed "Peter" (in Hebrew Kephas) or "rock" by Jesus to indicate that Peter would be the rock-like foundation on which the Church would be built. Peter's house often became the scene of miracles, since Jesus would stay there whenever He was teaching in that locality. Together with his brothers John and Andrew, Peter belonged to the first of Jesus' disciples.

After the Ascension, Peter took the leading role that Christ had assigned to him and became the first Pope. He served as the first Bishop of Rome and died there as a martyr in 64 a.d. crucified with his head downward, as he was not worthy to die in the same manner as Christ.

Peter is the author of two letters, the first encyclicals. St. Peter is buried beneath the high altar of St. Peter's Basilica on the Vatican Hill in Rome. A visitor to the Vatican Basilica can go into the crypt, which is the floor of the original church built by the Emperor Constantine.

St. Paul

Paul, known as Saul (his Roman name) before his conversion, was the son of Jewish parents who belonged to the tribe of Benjamin, was raised as a Pharisee. A tent-maker by trade, Saul hated and persecuted Christians as heretics and even participated in the stoning of Stephen the martyr.

On his way to Damascus to persecute another group of Christians, Saul was knocked to the ground and struck by a heavenly light, when God gave him the message that in persecuting Christians, he was also persecuting Christ Himself. This profound experience led to his conversion to Christianity. He was baptized, changed his name to Paul, and became traveling and preaching. He met Peter in Jerusalem and was introduced to the Christian Community by Barnabus.

Paul was eventually seized by the Jews and accused of condemning the Law. After being held as a prisoner for two years at Caesarea, he appealed to Caesar and was sent by sea to Rome (60 A.D.). Shipwrecked and delayed on the island of Malta, he arrived at Rome in the spring of 61 and passed the next two years in confinement before being released.

The last years of the saint's life were devoted to missionary work. In 66 he returned to Rome, was taken prisoner, and beheaded a year later. His fourteen letters are a precious legacy.

We learn through the selection of these men to lead the Church, Christ teaches us that he choses ordinary men and women to do his work and to be His leaders. Peter was a simple fisherman whom he chose in an official way, while Paul was a tentmaker chosen in a very unconventional manner. Both men were imperfect - Peter denied Jesus three times; Saul persecuted Christians before his conversion. Neither of the men were trained in their work for the Lord, but the Lord provided them with all the graces necessary to spread the Good News. Christ works in a powerful way through weak, imperfect people, if we come to him with humble hearts and surrender to His will. "For when I am weak, then I am strong." (2 Cor. 12, 10)

CWNews - The Vatican press office has confirmed that Cardinal Tarcisio Bertone yesterday briefed a group of bishops on the forthcoming motu proprio expanding the use of the 1962 Roman Missal.

The Vatican Secretary of State spoke to "representatives from various episcopal conferences" about "the content and spirit" of the motu proprio, the Vatican announcement indicated. Pope Benedict XVI joined the meeting to speak with the bishops for about an other.

The publication of the document, along with "an extensive personal letter from the Holy Father," will take place "within a few days," the Vatican said. The statement did not confirm the July 7 publication date reported yesterday by the Kath.net news service.

The Vatican statement did indicate that the text of the motu proprio and the Pope's explanatory letter will now be sent to all of the world's bishops before the document is formally released. That mailing will also indicate when the Pope's new policies will take effect. [more]

Wednesday, June 27, 2007

Tiller's illegal activities and the political corruption surrounding it continue to be the hot topic in Kansas these days. Of course, abortions are out of control and will continue to be as long as Tiller controls the politicians in this state. This post from Operation Rescue gives us an idea of how things at the Tiller late-term abortion mill have been out of control.

Here are some excerpts from that post:

The mother of one woman in her 29th week of pregnancy called Mark Geitzen of the Kansas Coalition for Life to ask for intervention on behalf of her daughter. According to the mother, her daughter recently married a man from another country who was physically abusive. The man was forcing her daughter to have a third-trimester abortion. Apparently the pregnant woman, who had been active in the pro-life movement in another state, did not want the abortion, but was complying out of fear severe beatings from her husband.

Geitzen reported the call to Operation Rescue, who notified the police of the possibility that the woman could be in physical danger and at risk for a forcedthird-trimester abortion. Kansas law states that such abortions can only take place if the pregnancy endangers the life of the mother or would produce a “substantial and irreversible impairment of a major bodily function.”

In a second incident, a distraught mother told pro-lifers at the abortion clinic that her daughter was getting a late-term abortion because she did not want her pregnancy to ruin her recent “tummy tuck” surgery. That certainly sounds like it meets the state criteria for having a late-term abortion. Evidence has surfaced recently that Tiller is committing late-term abortions in violation of the law. Attorney General Paul Morrison has said he will announce the outcome of his “investigation” of Tiller by the end of the week, but has called previous efforts to hold Tiller accountable to the Kansas ban on post-viability abortions a waste of taxpayer money. Morrison’s political campaign benefited from an estimated $1 million worth of campaign calls and mailings linked to Tiller.Morrison has also cleared Planned Parenthood in Overland Park of any criminal wrongdoing. That abortion clinic was under investigation for illegal abortions and concealment of child rape.But of course, he wouldn't dare charge his supporters with criminal wrongdoing. After all, Planned Parenthood in Overland Park was the site of political phone banking and letter stuffing on multiple dates prior to the last election (that was surely designed to help Paul Morrison defeat Phill Kline), according to sources.Kansas City Catholic warns us not to get our hopes up about Morrison prosecuting Tiller. As has been reported at Lifenews.com :Pro-life groups say Morrison, who backs abortion, is not acting faithfully in the case because of political help from campaign mailings and phone calls linked to Tiller and political action committees he supports.

Kansans for Life has been upset that Morrison's office has never contacted McHugh, the lead expert witness in the case Kline filed, for more information.

"Paul Morrison claiming that he is properly investigating the charges against Tiller, while ignoring the key expert witness, and Tiller claiming cooperation, while his lawyer insults that witness ... tells us all we need to know about the quality of this so-called investigation, and why Tiller remains one of the biggest political donors in Kansas history," KFL director Mary Kay Culp said.

You've likely seen the haunting, iconic photo of Gerri Santoro, dead, naked, knees to chest with bloody bottom in the air on a hotel room floor, the result of an illegal abortion in 1964 at age 27.

How did Santoro get there? At six and a half months pregnant by a married man, Santoro apparently panicked when learning her own abusive husband, whom she had left but not divorced, was traveling from out-of-state to visit their two daughters.Santoro and her baby's father checked into a hotel, where he tried aborting her using a textbook and borrowed surgical instruments. When Santoro began hemorrhaging, he fled. [More]

My Comments: These are both indeed very sad situations which could have been prevented. What this reveals to me is that we all need to continue to pray for an end to the culture of death. We need to share the truth with others about chastity, purity, self-control, and to educate our society about contraception, abortion and the consequences of living a life that is not in union with God's will. So many are living in the darkness. Let us expose them to the light. My heart aches for these women, their children, and all those who were hurt by these abortions.

The long-awaited motu proprio in which the Holy Father liberalizes access to the traditional Latin Mass will be released on July 7.

The motu proprio is a 3-page document. It will be made public along with an explanatory letter from Pope Benedict to the world's bishops; that letter is somewhat longer, at 4 pages.

The document emphasizes the unity of the Roman rite, and the Pope explains that he hopes the two forms of the Mass will enrich each other. The ordinary form of the Roman rite will continue to be the Novus Ordo Mass; the extraordinary form will be the Latin Mass, using the 1962 Missal.

St. Cyril is one of the great Greek fathers of the Church. He was chosen by divine Providence to be the shield and champion of the Church against Nestorius, who denied the unity of person in Christ. If this heresy had succeeded, Mary would not be called the Mother of God. [More]

Adult stem cells are helping children with brain tumors. The July 1, 2007 issue of Cancer will feature a study by French researchers which "reported that a high-dose regimen of busulfan and thiotepa supported by autologous stem cells followed by local radiotherapy resulted in a 69% 5-year survival in children with medulloblastoma that had progressed after initial surgery or surgery plus chemotherapy....Medulloblastoma is a relatively rare brain tumor in children and has a grave prognosis." [More]

Our son Theo was born on January 15, 2006. His trisomy 13 was not picked up by prenatal ultrasound, so it was a shock to discover about an hour after his birth that he had such a severe condition. He lived for five hours, surrounded by loving family, then very peacefully died in my arms. The beauty he brought in his short life is indescribable, and while we are heartbroken that he left so soon, we feel extremely grateful that he came along at all, and honored that he chose us to be his parents.

I was 35 when I got pregnant and knew that extensive prenatal testing was recommended for my age group. Luckily, we decided against it and never had to face what must be a very difficult decision for parents who find out negative results early on. I don't know what I would have done, I certainly didn't have any idea what enormous blessings could lie in such a "tragedy," nor was I aware of the courage I now know I have. I am just extremely thankful that Theo made it to birth against the odds and touched us so deeply. He brought so much love, it will burn in my heart for the rest of my life. [More here]

A reader writes: I represent Pro Health Natural Fertility , a non-profit, grassroots initiative praying for and promoting pro-life, noncontraceptive OB/GYN practices. We are initiating a new website, nomorecontraception.org. It will be a simple website of testimonies by women and men about the negative consequences of their articifical contraceptive use or elective sterility surgery. We'll have a few experts, too, but want to keep it simple! We hope to be up by the end of September, and in the meantime, gather testimonies. Please post the following on your website/blog if possible. We would appreciate it.

Have you experienced the negative effects of artificial contraception and/or sterility surgery? Do you want to help other women and men avoid similar pitfalls? Send an anonymous personal story about your experiences to:nomorecontraception@verizon.net

Your testimony will be posted at nomorecontraception.org, a website designed to share the experiences of women and men who were duped into thinking that artificial contraception and sterility surgery would erase their reproductive worries.

To protect your privacy, we will post your testimony to the website and immediately delete your email.

If you prefer postal mail, the address is: No More Contraception, 658 Kensington Avenue, Severna Park, MD 21146.This is our generation's battle! Together, we can disentangle other souls from this self-destructive behavior. God bless you, and thank you for your courage.

By responsible use of science, technology, and other rational means we shall eventually manage to become posthuman.” —Nick Bostrom

“The moral challenge of transhumanism will transcend those of abortion and euthanasia. For this reason, the pro-life movement must become the pro-human movement.” —Nigel M. Cameron

Cryonics. Neural implants. Designer babies. Welcome to the future of transhumanism. This energetic movement, comprising thousands of adherents, actively promotes the enhancement of humans via cybernetics, genetics, medicine, surgery, nanotechnology, and a full panoply of other scientific advancements. This enhancement would, according to Nick Bostrom’s “Transhumanist Declaration,” seek to advocate “the moral right for those who wish to do so to extend their mental and physical (including reproductive) capacities and to improve their control over their own lives. [They] seek personal growth beyond [their] current biological limitations” (see http://www.transhumanism.org/). [More]

My comments:

This is a very-thought provoking article which brings up many questions. It is extremely important that we educate ourselves on the ethical issues involved in these new technologies. Technology can be used for good purposes, but when we misuse it and attempt to make it our god or use it in order to become gods ourselves, then we are abusing it. What good is it if it causes us to lose our souls?

"Most abortions are the result of unwanted pregnancies, most unwanted pregnancies are the result of sexual relationships outside of marriage, and most sexual relationships outside of marriage are facilitated by the availability of contraception. To turn this 'progression' around: contraception leads to more extra-marital sexual intercourse, more extra-marital sexual intercourse leads to more unwanted pregnancies; more unwanted pregnancies lead to more unwanted abortions."

"Why is chastity so vital a key for unlocking the theology of the body? The theology of the body is centered on the gift of self that we are all called to make to others, regardless of our state or vocation in life."

"Only the chaste person can make such a gift. For spouses, this gift is embodied and expressed in the act of conjugal union. But no one can give what he does not first possess. It is precisely the mastery of oneself, the self-possession which comes through chastity, that enables men and women to be a gift to one another."

The Birth of St. John the Baptist1540'sOil on canvas, 181 x 266 cmThe Hermitage, St. Petersburg

The Church observes the birth of John as a hallowed event. We have no such commemoration for any other fathers; but it is significant that we celebrate the birthdays of John and of Jesus. This day cannot be passed by. And even if my explanation does not match the dignity of the feast, you may still meditate on it with great depth and profit. John appears as the boundary between the two testaments, the old and the new. That he is a sort of boundary the Lord himself bears witness, when he speaks of "the law and the prophets up until John the Baptist." Thus, he represents times past and is the herald of the new era to come. As a representative of the past, he is born of aged parents; as a herald of the new era, he is declared to be a prophet while still in his mother's womb. For when yet unborn, he leapt in his mother's womb at the arrival of blessed Mary. In that womb he had already been designated a prophet, even before he was born; it was revealed that he was to be Christ's precursor, before they ever saw one another. These are divine happenings, going beyond the limits of our human frailty.

When John was preaching the Lord's coming he was asked, "Who are you?" And he replied: "I am the voice of one crying in the wilderness." The voice is John, but the Lord "in the beginning was the Word." John was a voice that lasted only for a time; Christ, the Word in the beginning, is eternal.

Saturday, June 23, 2007

I have just returned from watching Nancy Drew. What a delightful and fun film this was! Bill and I both enjoyed it.

In River Heights, there is no mystery that Nancy Drew (Emma Roberts), a resourceful teen, can't solve. Nancy Drew has a reputation in her small town as a successful sleuth who gets into some pretty scary situations. When her widowed attorney father (Tate Donovan) accepts a temporary job in Los Angeles, he makes her promise that she will stop sleuthing. However, she has already made plans for them to move into the home of a Hollywood starlet who mysteriously died decades ago.

Nancy enrolls at Hollywood High, where she attempts to fit in and behave like a "normal" teenager, but her good manners, cleverness, creativity, and concern for others immediately set her apart from her self-indulgent, self-absorbed peers who can't quite figure her out and give her a hard time. Nancy is an old-fashioned kind of a girl who loves old things - which is reflected in her early 60's style dress (plaid skirts, knee socks, and penny loafers) and the classic car (a blue roadster) she drives.

Despite her promise to stop sleuthing, Nancy can't resist the urge to part with her passion, and becomes involved in unraveling the baffling mystery of the death of famous actress Dehlia Draycott. Nancy discovers that Dehlia had an illegitimate child, Jane (Rachael Leigh Cook), now a single mom with a daughter of her own struggling to make ends meet.

Nancy is assisted in her adventure by 12-year-old Corky (Josh Flitter), who has a crush on her and her shy, but sweet boyfriend from back home, Ned Nickerson (Max Thieriot), who comes to deliver her blue roadster.

Nancy Drew is the most appealing character in the film - her old-fashioned charm, her altruistic character, and wit will delight viewers. Corky and Ned are sweet, lovable characters, while the dad is nice, but a little quirky.

My only criticism of the film is that one of the scenes could have been omitted. The filmmaker didn't really need to include the scene where Nancy's father approves of the out-of-control teenage party at their home, affirming that this is "normal" teenage behavior. It wasn't really amusing and the film went flat during this scene. However, this is a minor flaw.

Overall, I enjoyed Nancy Drew and hope to see sequels to this film that involve Nancy in even more difficult and complex cases.This film is a good one for both teens and adults. Children under 12 will most likely be bored with it and it is inappropriate for that age group.

It is rated PG for mild violence, thematic elements and brief language. It includes a character born out of wedlock, some mild innuendo, and mild parental disobedience.

Saint of the Day: St. Etheldreda aka St. AudreyShe was the most popular of early English women saints, was the daughter of royalty and the sister of three other saints. She founded the minster of Ely, built on an estate which had been given to her by her first husband Tonbert, with whom she had never lived in wedlock. Her second husband, Egfrid, King of Northumbria, at first respected her desire to lead a religious life, but later he insisted on his rights, and fear of being carried off by him drove her to Ely.

The Coalition for Life presents beingHUMAN, a powerful thirty minute program that explores pro-life activism. This exciting documentary-style series gives witness to everyday people who are working to give a voice to the unborn.

"Every tribulation which ever comes our way either is sent to be medicinal, if we will take it as such, or may become medicinal, if we will make it such, or is better than medicinal, unless we forsake it."

"What does it avail to know that there is a God, which you not only believe by Faith, but also know by reason: what does it avail that you know Him if you think little of Him?"

"The ordinary acts we practice every day at home are of more importance to the soul than their simplicity might suggest."

"But no matter how high in the clouds this arrow of pride may fly, and no matter how exuberant one may feel while being carried up so high, let us remember that the lightest of these arrows still has a heavy iron head. High as it may fly, therefore, it inevitably has to come down and hit the ground. And sometimes it lands in a not very clean place.”

"As Boethius says: For one man to be proud that he has rule over other men is much like one mouse being proud to have rule over other mice in a barn."

"What men call fame is, after all, but a very windy thing. A man things that many are praising him, and talking of him alone, and yet they spend but a very small part of the day thinking of him, being occupied with things of their own."

"Your reasons for wanting me to stay away from Holy Communion are exactly the ones which cause me to go so often. My distractions are great, but it is in Communion that I recollect myself. I have temptations many times a day; by daily Communion I get the strength to overcome them. I have much very important business to handle and I need light and wisdom; it is for this reason that I go to Holy Communion every day to consult Jesus about them." (St. Thomas More's response when friends reproached him for going to Holy Communion so often.)

For Michael and his son Michael, for reversion to the faith, emotional, physical, and spiritual healing. For forgiveness and healing in the father - son relationship and for a supportive Christian community.

For healing for Fr. L., who is seriously ill with cancer through the intercession of Fr. Emil Kaupan.

For Bill's special intentions.

For a special intention.

For all previous intentions here and for those around St. Blog's.

O God of justice and of love, You care for Your people in every time and place, despite our tendency to stray from you in our foolishness. Keep us in your care from morning until evening, that we may come to rest safely in the shadow of Your all-powerful wings. We ask this through our Lord, Jesus Christ, Your Son, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God forever and ever. Amen.

"One can not sufficiently deplore the blindness of so many women of every age and station. Made foolish by a desire to please, they do not see to what degree the indecency of their clothing shocks every honest man and offends God. Most of them would formerly have blushed for such apparel as for a grave fault against Christian modesty . Now it does not suffice to exhibit themselves on public thoroughfares; they do not fear to cross the threshold of churches, to assist at the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass, and even to bear the seducing food of shameful passions to the Eucharistic Table, where one receives the Heavenly Author of Purity."

431 The Third Ecumenical Council opened in Saint Mary's church in Ephesus (first council of Ephesus). Convoked by Theodosius II, it concerned the Nestorian Controversy, which held that Christ was two separate persons rather than one person with two natures.

1535 The staunch Roman Catholic John Fisher (b. ca. 1469) was beheaded at the Tower of London. He was the only bishop who did not sign a document that declared Henry VIII of England's marriage to Catherine of Aragon unlawful.

1963 - Giovanni Cardinal Montini elected Pope by the College of Cardinals, and takes the name Pope Paul VI.

Thursday, June 21, 2007

Jail has been "horrible and really hard" for Paris Hilton, but she's ready to turn the page and begin a new chapter in her life as a changed woman.

In an exclusive phone conversation with E! News' Ryan Seacrest Thursday, the hotel heiress said she was "really proud" of herself for serving out her sentence and even admitted there was a positive aspect to life behind bars.

"In a way, I'm really glad this happened, because it changed my life forever," Hilton said in a nearly 10-minute call from Century Regional Correctional Facility. (Read excerpts from the conversation.) Via WorldNetDaily.

My Comments: I am hoping that this experience has changed Paris. Everyone needs peace and quiet in their lives in order to hear the voice of God and to discern their purpose and goals in life. With the type of lifestyle she was leading, she was quickly becoming dangerous to others as well as to herself. I pray that she will change her ways when she is released. Let's continue to keep her in our prayers - she certainly needs them.

A five-minute videotape touted as "smoking gun evidence" of two felonies committed by Sen. Hillary Clinton, was filed in a California appeals court today in a civil fraud suit against the New York Democrat and her husband, former President Bill Clinton.

To read the WorldNetDaily post and view a 40 second excerpt of the videotape, go here.

My Comments:This doesn't surprise me at all - Hillary has committed crimes worse than this, but has yet to be convicted . I imagine that she will most likely pay a fine and get off. However, I will pray that justice be done in this case.

For Michael and his son Michael, for reversion to the faith, emotional, physcial, and spiritual healing. For forgiveness and healing in the father - son relationship and for a supportive Christian community.

For healing for Fr. L., who is seriously ill with cancer through the intercession of Fr. Emil Kaupan.

For Bill's special intention.

For a special intention of mine.

For all previous intentions here and for those around St. Blog's.

For all those who have asked for my prayers.

Our Father...

O God of justice and of love, You care for Your people in every time and place, despite our tendency to stray from you in our foolishness. Keep us in your care from morning until evening, that we may come to rest safely in the shadow of Your all-powerful wings. We ask this through our Lord, Jesus Christ, Your Son, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God forever and ever. Amen.

I used to like Robin Williams, when he played Mork on Mindy and Mork (the TV sci-fi sitcom from 1978 - 1982) and I have enjoyed his performances in such films as Good Morning Viet Nam, Dead Poet's Society, and Awakenings, but over the years, his humor has gotten really raunchy.

Williams also put his hand over his groin, saying, “You have to realize that if you are a Catholic priest, you have retired this. That’s it—no more sex.” Then he took a shot at confession: “But they are going to put you in a small dark box and people are going to tell you the nastiest sexual stuff they have done.”

Here is Catholic League President Bill Donanue's response to this issue:

“Isaiah Washington lashes out at one gay person in private, and he is banished from ‘Grey’s Anatomy.’ Robin Williams lashes out against all priests in public, and he suffers no consequence. To top it off, Williams suggests that most molesting priests are pedophiles, when in fact they are homosexuals. But to make a joke about gay priests could get him into trouble. So it’s better to lie. This is justice—Hollywood style.

“One more thing: in an interview with MoviesOnline, Robin Williams recently said that ‘you can’t poke fun at certain religions,’ noting that ‘we just made major fun of the Catholic Church but hey, they don’t blow you up.’ So not only is Williams a bigot and a liar, he’s a coward. No wonder he’s so well received in Tinseltown.”

Wichita, KS – A Psychologist who has examined over thirty medical records subpoenaed from abortionist George R. Tiller, says women were given late-term abortions on viable babies so they would not have to miss rock concerts and sporting events.

Dr. Paul McHugh revealed last week that he examined medical records that showed women who were 26 to 30 weeks into their pregnancies were being given abortions by Tiller for “trivial” birth control reasons under the guise of “mental health” concerns that could not be substantiated by the records.

Dr. McHugh is a Harvard educated psychologist who headed the Department of Psychiatry at Johns Hopkins Hospital for 26 years and serves on the President’s Council on Bioethics. He was asked to review the abortion records by former Attorney General Phill Kline to determine if the mental health diagnoses were psychiatrically justified. [More]

In art, Michelina is a young Franciscan tertiary kneeling in ecstasy in the midst of a storm with a pilgrim's hat and staff by her (Roeder).

On This Day in Catholic History:

1336 Pope Benedict XII (ca. 1280–1342) issued the encyclical Summi Magistri in an effort to correct abuses that had crept into the Catholic church. It reconstituted the ancient religious order of the Benedictines and remained in effect until the Council of Trent (1545–1563).

Tuesday, June 19, 2007

You aren't a full fledged Republican yet, but it's probably the party that fits you best.You probably consider yourself an independent Republican. You usually support the party, but you also think for yourself!

Providence, Jun 19, 2007 / 11:16 am (CNA).- A leading abortion activist has filed a complaint with the IRS in an attempt to silence Bishop Thomas Tobin, who said he could never support Republican presidential candidate Rudy Giuliani, who believes abortion should be legal.

In his May 31 editorial in the Rhode Island Catholic, the bishop of Providence, Rhode Island, called the former New York mayor’s pro-abortion views "pathetic," "confusing," and "hypocritical.""Rudy's explanation is a classic expression of the position on abortion we have heard from weak-kneed politicians so frequently in recent years: 'I'm personally opposed to but don't want to impose my views on other people.' The incongruity of that position has been exposed many times now," Bishop Tobin wrote.

The bishop said Giuliani’s views lead him to think of the “sad figure of Pontius Pilate … who personally found no guilt in Jesus, but for fear of the crowd, washed his hands of the whole affair and handed Jesus over to be crucified.”

According to LifeNews.com, Americans United for Separation of Church and State has filed a complaint with the Internal Revenue Service June 13, asking that the agency look into whether Bishop Tobin violated his diocese’s tax-exempt nonprofit status. [More]

My Comment:

I agree with Fr. Pavone here - the real problem is that we don't have more voices speaking out like Bishop Tobin's. People need to be warned about these "psuedo Catholics" from someone in authority in the Church. Giuliani doesn't practice his faith - he's been married three times, he tries to pretend he's pro-life when he's not. He has a long history of supporting abortion and many other issues that the Church teaches is sinful. Do we really want to elect another "John Kerry"?

I like the way Fr. Pavone repsonds by saying, “I'd like to hear what the same legal advisors would say if political candidates started calling for the abolishment of the Catholic Church and the imprisonment of the clergy. Would we find our voices then?”

As a writer and a Catholic, I wanted to get the authentic message out about the Catholic faith. I was tired of the secular press bashing Catholics and wanted to make a difference in the way the news about our faith was presented to the public. As an educator and pro-life activist, I was especially concerned that so few Catholics knew much about pro-life issues and living out the faith in their lives. I received lots of emails and information about important life issues and forwarded these to people, but wanted to be able to share this information with a wider group of people; hence, I started blogging. I discussed what I was attempting to do with my Spiritual Father and he heartily approved and encouraged me in my apostolate.

Did you intend to have a blog with a big following? If so, how did you go about getting it?

Not really, In fact I had no idea of how to write a blog when I first started and when I received my first meme, I didn't have any idea what it was. I thought it was spam, so I deleted it. I knew my readership would start out small and was later surprised to learn how many readers I actually had.

Did I intend to have a big following? No. I just asked the Lord to send those readers here who really needed to hear the pro-faith, pro-family, pro-life message and would benefit from it. Over time, I also learned that one of the advantages of blogging is meeting some really super people and making friends online.

What do you hope to achieve or accomplish with your blog? Have you been successful? If not, do you have a plan to achieve those goals?

I had hoped to bring Jesus to the hearts of my readers and to bring them closer to Him. I had also hoped to open the eyes and the ears of those entrapped in the culture of death. Only God knows how well that is being accomplished.

Through my blog, I continue to encourage all my readers to strive to live holy lives no matter what state of life they are in or where they are at spiritually. Wherever they are spiritually, I want to plant the seed to encourage them to lead more virtuous lives for the love of God. I want to make them aware of what they can do to achieve this in concrete ways.

I will never know how successful I am in carrying out God's will in this life. It is more important that I am obedient in carrying out His will. It is important to me that I continue to persevere in carrying out His will in this life.

Has the focus of your blog changed since you started blogging? How?

My blog has changed slightly to the extent that I write and post about a wider variety of topics than I did when I first started. Initially, I wrote mostly just about saints and pro-life issues. Now I include book reviews, movies reviews, Catholic art, some personal photos, and other areas of interest, hoping to attract a wider range of readers. I think it's important that a blog include some fun like quizzes, games, and humor to stimulate interest. It has to be fun and interesting for me to continue to stay motivated.

What do you know now that you wish you'd known when you started?That it doesn't really matter whether you're the best writer in the world, it's more important that you persevere in writing about your "passion". If you are enthused, others will be, too.

Do you make money with your blog?No, this is my apostolate or ministry.

Does your immediate or extended family know about your blog? If so, do they read it? If not, why?

A few of them do, but most lead very active lives and aren't into spending time on the Internet. However, my husband, Bill, reads it faithfully.

What two pieces of advice would you give to a new blogger? I have to give the same answers as Esther here.

1.Post regularly.

2. If you are not sure whether or not to publish a particular post, especially if it is critical or negative, don't post it. That way, you won't regret it later.